A lot of years of Christmas
by Walker'sLampshade
Summary: Taz and Up have been together for so many years, and they have spent so many Christmases together. I wonder how those Christmases went...  Rated 'T' because I'm paranoid. I don't really think it deserves it... Christmas Oneshot no.2


**Disclaimer: **I do not Taz, Up, Krayonder, February, Specs, Bug, Tootsie or Megagirl. I do however own all the rest.

_A/N: _This is my 2nd Christmas oneshot. Starship was requested by almostlover-hopelessdream, AlreadyOnMars and DaydreamsOfMyOwn. They all requested it in a different way so I tried to fit all their requests into one...I think it worked. Just so know if you haven't read it, this is written in the timeline of my story 'And they thought she'd never make it,' and has those characters in it too. Just in case you had no idea who the characters are...

If anyone has any requests of any other Christmas oneshots, because I want to do as many as possible, please say so over pm or on request. Taaaah.

OH, OH, OH! And I'm sorry for not uploading on ATTSNMI (that looks so stupid when I initialise it:/). This kind of took up my time, but I'm on holiday now so I'll have more time to write:)

**CHRISTMAS SONG:** Fairytale in New York, the Pogues_:  
>"It was Christmas Eve babe, in the drunk tank an old man said to me, won't see another one.<em>  
><em> And then he sang a song, the Rare Old Mountain Dew, I turned my face away, and dreamed about you.<em>  
><em> Got on a lucky one, came in at ten to one, I've got a feeling, this year's for me and you.<em>  
><em> So Happy Christmas, I love you baby, I can see a better time. When all our dreams come true..."<em>

**Eight years before they met…**

Up sat on his bed, his knees up to his chest as he read his magazine. It was a magazine about space, the thing he'd asked to get for Christmas months ago. He'd been so happy when he saw the A4 present sat under the haphazard tree labelled with his name. He'd read the magazine 5 times already. He didn't care. He was re-reading his favourite article for the sixth time that day. The one about the Starship Rangers. He grinned at the picture, under which the caption read 'there to get the job done.'

"Up?" Up looked up and across the room. His little sister was peering her head round the side of the door and looking at him, a questioning look in her eyes. "Can I...?"

"Come 'ere," Up said, shuffling over on his bed and setting his magazine down as he waited for Cat to cross the room and climb up on to the bed beside him.

She settled down beside him and leaned her head against his shoulder, her long brown hair flopping down over his chest in a wave. Up put his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled closer to him.

"Why aren't you at the party?" he asked.

He could hear them downstairs. He could hear the Christmas songs blaring out of the old stereo and his roommate, Ben, getting yelled at by one of their social workers, he presumed it was Tracey.

Cat shrugged slightly. "Christmas is for family." She leaned further into his shoulder, curling up away from the cold of the room. It was always cold in this room.

"Merry Christmas, Cat."

Cat smiled. "Merry Christmas," she repeated.

Neither of them moved for a while, enjoying the comfort of the others warmth. Up wondered whether he should mention their argument they'd had the week before, the reason that Cat had been hesitant to come into the room. His sister was a very opinionated eleven year-old-girl with a very sharp tongue. Unsurprisingly, finding out that her brother wanted to become a Starship Ranger in two years time- subsequently leaving her- hadn't gone down well.

They hadn't spoken for days and Up wasn't sure he wanted to spoil this moment by bringing it up again.

"Up?" Cat asked, leaning away from him and studying his face.

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking." Up frowned and a questioning expression appeared in his eyes. Cat looked down slightly. "If you really want to go and be a Starship Ranger, then okay. But I'm going too, and when I get old enough I'll train to be a Medic." Cat caught his eye. Her blue eyes were firm and her jaw was set, Up knew there was no changing her mind.

Up nodded slightly. "Okay."

Cat blinked in surprise. She'd obviously expected him to at least put up some kind of fight. Then she grinned, wrapping her arms around her brother's chest. She pulled away almost immediately.

"Good, because you're not getting rid of me that easy," she said, trying to regain her composure as she faced the wall with her arms folded defiantly. Up grinned and pulled her arm back so she was leaning against him again. Cat smiled slightly.

"Hey, are you two coming down to the party or what?" Both siblings looked over to see that Ben was stood in the doorway, a piece of tinsel tied around his blonde head and a half-eaten mince pie in his hand. He looked at them both expectantly. Cat rolled off the bed and pulled Up with her. He gave his little sister a look. She gave him one back. Up sighed, defeated. He would never win over Cat.

She grinned, grabbing his hand and dragging him to door where she flung her arms around the two taller boys' shoulders and began to walk towards the stairs, pulling her unwilling companions with her.

The two boys struggled under her grasp as she travelled carefully down the stairs, laughing and poking her in the stomach in an attempt to get her off. She was giggling her head off but still refused to let go of the pair. Ben and Up looked at each other and seeing the look on the others face and taking in their entire situation sent both boys into fits of uncontrollable laughter. They staggered around, dragging Cat this way and that.

Ben was the first to lose his balance as he missed a step and crashed down onto floor, pulling both of the siblings off balance and dragging them after him. The three kids ended up in a pile, sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, laughing and climbing over each other in an attempt to untangle themselves.

"What on god's name is going on?" a voice demanded.

Tracey stepped out of the front room and stopped in the hallway, watching the three kids with a stern expression. Cat turned and saw the social worker. Her eyes widened and she climbed off where she was kneeling on Ben's stomach. Ben gasped breathily, holding his stomach and grinning. Up sat up laughing, his legs trapped under Ben's body and his sister clinging to his neck. He looked over to his social worker and grinned.

"Merry Christmas, Tracey," he said cheerfully, giving her a little wave before turning to hit Ben in the arm as his friend attempted to kick him in the face. Tracey tried to stay serious, but her lips twitched slightly at the sides. She let out a little bark of laughter as Up hit his head on the wall when his sister shoved him. Up looked at Tracey, smiling and rubbing his forehead slightly.

"Merry Christmas, Up."

-x-

**Three years before they met...**

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Taz screeched, anger burning in her veins.

"OF COURSE JOU DID JOU LITTLE MAGGOT! NO ELSE IS STUPID ENOUGH TO!" Taz collapsed onto the sofa, frustrated tears spilling out of her eyes. "DON'T CRY ABOUT IT, TICIANA! IT'S JOU'RE FAULT AND JOU AREN'T GETTING ANY SYMPATHY!"

"I DIDN'T BREAK JOUR STUPID FREAKING TEAPOT!" Taz screamed, her vision blurry but her eyes still scary enough to make her Aunt Clara take a slight step away from her. Taz's head fell into her hands and she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

She wanted to go home.

Why she'd been forced to come to her Aunt Clara's for Christmas she didn't know. It had been her stepfather's idea, Aunt Clara being his sister. Taz had known it was going to be a terrible idea. Aunt Clara hated Taz more than a cat hates a mouse, and her daughters hated Taz even more than that.

They hated her so much, in fact, that just after they'd broken their mothers favourite antique teapot they ran straight to their mother and blamed the whole thing on Taz who had been innocently stood pouring herself an orange juice. The pair had dragged her into the front where Aunt Clara had been screaming at her for the last ten minutes.

Aunt Clara stepped forwards, gripping Taz's arm and dragging her to her feet.

"Jou…_lo__ poco__ desagradable_, jou don't scare me," she hissed, an inch away from Taz's face. Taz's eyes suddenly drained of tears. She could feel anger beginning to boil her blood, the heat rising to her face and into her eyes. "You _broke_ my teapot! And I bet jou did it on purpose, didn't jou, _que__ la __rata_? DIDN'T JOU?" This would be around the time that her parents would intervene or something, right? But no, Taz's parents weren't there at the moment, they'd offered to drive to the corner shop across town and get some new paper cups. Her two brothers were sat on the sofa looking petrified.

"_Desaparecer_! I didn't break it!"

"LIAR!" Aunt Clara shook Taz's arm.

"Don't call me a liar."

"But dat's what jou are! A liar!"

"I AM _NOT _A LIAR!" Taz screamed, pushing her Aunt away angrily. Her Aunt staggered backwards, throwing her arm back and steadying herself on the fireplace.

"HOW DARE JOU?" Aunt Clara screeched, standing up and making her way back towards Taz, venom glowing in her eyes. Taz walked back and hit the edge of the sofa, toppling onto it and backing away from her Aunt.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Both Taz and Aunt Clara looked over to where Taz's brothers were sat on the sofa. Her youngest brother, Leon, was now stood up and glaring at his Aunt angrily. His hands were shaking, Taz noticed. Her older stepbrother, Tristen, was grabbing at Leon's hand and trying to pull him back but Leon dodged it and turned and sent Tristen a glare that made the older boy sit back in his chair and stay quiet.

"Leon!" Aunt Clara said in a manner that she always used to scold Leon. She never yelled at the boys. "Surely jou know what _su__ hermana_ did was wrong?"

"She didn't do it!"

"Leon, lying is not a very good trait to ha-"

"SHE DIDN'T DO IT!" Leon stamped his foot on the carpet and pouted, resembling a child's tantrum. He was after all, only seven. "THEY DID IT!" He pointed aggressively towards his cousins.

Carmen and Rita, who had been sat on the chairs looking very pleased with themselves, suddenly turned very pale. Their mother's eyes flicked towards them and they both feigned innocence.

"Leon, blaming other people for some-"

"SHUT UP!" Leon put his hands in his hair for a second before charging over. Aunt Clara took a step away from enraged nephew and watched as he climbed up and sat beside Ticiana, folding his arms and glaring viciously.

"_Hola_! We're back!"

No one said anything.

Taz's mother and stepfather appeared at the living room door and stopped dead, staring at the sight in front of them. Ticiana and Leon were sat on one sofa, both glaring. Tristen was cowering into the other. Carmen and Rita were nestled, looking guilty, into the chairs and Aunt Clara was stood in the middle of the room, her eyes flicking from seat to seat and glaring aggressively.

"What's going on?" Taz's mother asked nervously, setting the cups down on the table.

"Esmerelda, Oscar, thank goodness!" Aunt Clara cried, flinging her arms up in the air. "Jou leave for five minutes, and I get mayhem!" She gestured to Taz. "Dis one, what are we going to do with her? She's a _amenaza,__ un__ demonio_!"

"What's she done?" Oscar asked, glancing at Taz and Leon's protective position beside her.

"She broke my favourite tea pot! It was an antique! And _then,_she lied about it!"

"I DIDN'T LIE! _NO__ FUI__ YO_!"

Aunt Clara turned and glared at Taz. "SHUT UP JOU LITTLE LIAR!"

"GO DIE!"

"SEE WHAT I MEAN?"

Oscar Castro looked at his stepdaughter as she curled herself into a ball on the sofa, her body shaking with anger. He looked at the guilty faces of his nieces, and their pleading expressions.

"Clara..."

"_Sí_, Oscar?" Clara asked, composing herself slightly and straightening her skirt.

"_I_ broke jour tea pot."

* * *

><p>Taz glanced at Oscar from the passenger seat of his car. He glanced back and gave her a small smile.<p>

"Well, dat was fun," he stated cheerfully.

"_Fun_!" Taz's mother cried from the backseat, where she was squished in between Leon and Tristen. "I don't think jour sisters going to talk to us ever again!"

"She'll come round in a few days," Oscar replied, shrugging. Taz's mother sighed and Taz smirked slightly. Her stepfather caught her eye. "Jou okay?"

Taz nodded. "Thanks...for saving me."

Oscar laughed and put his arm around his stepdaughter, hugging her to him for a second. "Hey, what are stepfathers for?" he joked, winking at her. He put the car into gear and set off towards the town.

"Um...Oscar?" Taz asked, frowning.

"_Sí_?"

"Our house is dat way...?"

"Ah yes, but we were meant to be eating at Clara's so we have no food. I thought we'd go out for Christmas Dinner instead. And since everywhere will be sold out...how does McDonalds sound to jou?"

Taz scoffed, and then giggled slightly.

She grinned at her stepfather. "McDonalds sounds awesome."

-x-

**First year at the Academy…**

It was the upcoming to Christmas, and as with every other year, the galactic league- who were very big on the whole Christmas spirit thing- had issued every member of their staff with a box of decorations and a Christmas tree that comes up to the middle of an average persons chest. Up wasn't even bothering to put his up yet. He wouldn't do it for a few weeks yet. He'd never really been big on the whole Christmas decorations thing. He had nothing against Christmas; he just couldn't be bothered with the decorations. That took effort, and in short, Up was a little bit lazy.  
>Up, feeling rather alone in his empty room with nothing but a box of screwed up tinsel for company, decided to go and visit Taz. It seemed a legitimate thing to do, after all, they spent most of their time together anyway so visiting her for no reason wasn't weird. But for some reason dragging himself out of his room and too her door seemed to take a lot longer than it usually did.<p>

He stood in front of Taz's door, raising his hand and beginning to type her pass code. Then he heard music, coming from the other side of the door. Cheery music, happy and loud and danceable to. The kind that under normal circumstances Taz would never listen to. He'd only known her for a matter of months but it became immediately obvious that she was rock kind of girl.

Up finished typing in the pass code and waited while the door slid open.

He stared at the sight in front of him with wonder.

Taz was stood in the centre of her room- well, he says stood; she was moving too much for it to be counted as totally stood. There was music blaring from the speaker in the corner of the room and Taz was humming along and dancing a little, a string of tinsel around her neck as she leaned to hang a bauble of a branch of her tree. The song playing was an old Christmas classic, the kind that always gets played at Christmas time. 'Shake it up' by Train, he thought. Ancient now, but still a classic.

Up watched, leaning against the wall, as Taz successfully hung the bauble on the tree and stepped back, grinning from ear to ear. Up smirked as she began to spin round, dancing her way over to the box of decorations and pulling three more baubles out whilst belting out the lyrics to the song. She was good, Up thought. Her accent made her voice sound rough and hoarse, but it sounded good on her.

"I never thought you'd be the kind of person into Christmas," he commented loudly over the music. Taz jumped, spun round and screamed all at once. A piece of tinsel that had been lay at her feet tangled up in her legs and she toppled over, straight into her newly decorated tree. She screamed as she disappeared into the greenery.

Up manage to hold his cool for a matter of seconds, before he burst into laughter when Taz's face appeared through the mass of branches and tinsel. She scowled at him, folding her arms and staring at him in a huff.

Up smirked and made his way over to her.

She glared up at him as he held his hand out to her and ignored it, turning her head and blowing hair out of her eyes with a huff.

"Are you really going to sulk at me?" Up asked, smirking widely. Taz glanced at him, then immediately looked away.

Up grabbed the younger girls hand and pulled her to her feet, spinning her under his arm in time with the music. She let out a yelp as she toppled again. Up caught her, laughing.

"What are jou doing here?" Taz demanded as Up reached up to pull a piece of ribbon out of her hair. She batted his hand away. "Don't jou have jour own tree to decorate."

He tried to get the ribbon again. "I'm not a very decorating kind of person," Up replied. "I'd rather just stay here." Taz slapped his hand and reached up, pulling the ribbon out herself and dropping into Up's hand. Up smirked.

"You'll help me decorate?"

"Well, I'll observe, and stop you falling again," Up said with a grin.

"I wouldn't have fallen if jou hadn't made me jump."

"Well, someone else might come and make you jump."

"Fine, come here and get the end of this."

Up stared at the end of tinsel that Taz was holding out to him. "I never said I was actually going to help."

"Well jou're going to."

"I'm no good at this stuff, I always get Cat to do it for me," Up said, staring at the tinsel with trepidation.

"I'll cope," Taz retorted, waving the tinsel slightly.

Up sighed defeated and took the end of the string of tinsel, narrowing his eyes at Taz. "Fine, but if I break everything, it's your fault- dead god damnit what is this? Put a decent song on!"

-x-

**Graduation year…**

There was a crash on his front door.  
>Up looked over, puzzled. It was half eleven at night, Christmas eve. What on earth was going on? There was another crash and the entire door shuddered.<br>Up stood up, watching the door with a raised eyebrow.

"Up! _Abrir__ idiota,__ śe__ que __estás__ despeirto_!"

Oh. Taz.

Up had almost forgotten about that Christmas party.

Up pressed the button beside his door and immediately Taz fell through, her head lolling onto his shoulder and her entire body like a rag doll. She was wearing a dark of dark skinny jeans and a black tank top with a cardigan, all of which were covered in alcohol. Her dark hair was falling over her face in a damp, matted mess.

"Up, _sido __un__ estúpido_." The sentence was so slurred Up doubted he'd have understood if she was speaking English.

"What?"

Taz slapped him on the arm. Up wasn't asking again.

He pulled her back to her feet and steadied her. As he let go she wobbled slightly but stayed upright. Ish.

"I told you, you shouldn't have gone to Gred's party," Up said, sighing. Gred was an absolute drunk; he should have guessed that Taz would come back from his party hammered.

"So?" Taz mumbled. Up caught her round the waist as she fell over again.

"Maybe you should sit down," he stated, about to lead her over to the sofa. She was sick on his foot. "Uh, lovely." She glanced at him for a second before pelting unsteadily towards the bathroom.

All Up could think to do was follow her.

Up held Taz's hair back for what felt like hours as she puked into his toilet. It was disgusting and the sound of Taz being sick made his face contort with repulsion, but it was nothing he couldn't deal with. Once she was done, Taz collapsed back against the toilet panting and sweating slightly.

"I feel sick."

"Well you have just been sick..."

Taz glared at him.

"You tired?" Up asked. Taz half shook her head and half nodded. Up took it as a nod and picked her up off the floor, ignoring her complaints that she could walk- after her trip to the bathroom and her attempt to head butt the wall Up knew it was a lie.

Up carried her all the way to his bed and placed her under the covers. She settled into the covers and punched him lightly when he joined her in the bed.

"Dat was for carrying me," she murmured, her words running into each other and blurring together.  
>She curled up next to him under the covers. She smelt of alcohol and sick, but the underlying smell of Taz was still there. Up smiled down at her as she wrapped herself into his arms, her head on the crook of his neck.<p>

"You feeling better?" he asked.

Taz didn't respond. Her breathing had evened out and she wasn't moved. Up smiled. "Merry Christmas, Taz." It was 24:01.

He kissed her on the top of the head.

-x-

**Fifth year of knowing each other...**

"What in God's name are jou doing?"  
>Taz was leaned against the kitchen counter, staring at Up, who was stood at the other counter, cooking. If what he was doing could even be counted as cooking. He was stood with a knife in his hand and was glaring at a carrot with a vengeance. Beside his current attempt lay three carrots, or the remains of them anyway. They were destroyed.<p>

Up glanced at Taz, who was staring at him curiously.

"Nothing."

"I can see dat. What are jou trying to do?" Taz amended, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Cook Christmas Dinner?"

Taz walked over and studied the contents of the table with a raised eyebrow. There were a couple more destroyed carrots, a horrendous attempt at mashing a raw potato and a cold turkey that had had some...substance, spilt on it.

"I'm guessing dis is why Cat is usually the Christmas cook?" Taz questioned, glancing at her best friend. Up gave her a solemn nod that she couldn't help but smirk at.

She patted his arm. "No worries," she promised. "Taz here, to the rescue."

Up raised an eyebrow and followed Taz with his eyes as she went and grabbed an apron from the back of the door, slipping it over her head and tying it around the back as she made her way back to the counter.

"What?" she questioned, frowning at him. "Just because I choose not to cook doesn't mean dat I can't..." She smiled at him. "Now get a new potato. And this time, boil it before jou mash it, _idiota_."

-x-

**Seventh year of knowing each other...**

"Can we leave now?"

"No, we cannot leave!" Up whispered back to Taz urgently. "We only just got here!"

Taz refused to look at him, leaning against the bar and scowling instead at the mass of people on the dance floor that were jumping up and down to some Clubland tune. She growled under her breath.

"Come on, Taz," Up pleaded. "It's only for one night! You've only had three drinks!"

"I don't know why we had to come anyway," Taz muttered.

"We were invited."

"We could have said no."

"That's what I told you last time you were invited to this party. You ignored me."

Taz glared at him.

"It's true!"

"Okay, we've established dat! Can we go now?" Taz demanded.

"No." Up pushed another tequila towards her. She picked it up and downed it in one.

"How about now?" Taz asked as she slammed the glass back onto the counter. Up ordered another and put it in front of her. She scowled.

"Why are you so eager to leave?" Up questioned.

"I don't want to see-"

"Hey Taz!"

"Oh, crap."

Gred made his way over to the pair, grinning his head off and swaying like a drunken idiot. Taz swore and let her head fall into her hand.

"You okay, darlin'?" Gred slurred, putting his hand on Taz's shoulder. Taz shook it off.

"Don't call me dat."

"Okay, sweetheart." Taz glared at him. "You're hot when you glare." Taz slammed her fist onto the bar counter, causing her drink to spill. She gave Up a pleading look. He smirked and gave her a look that said. 'You're on your own with this one.' She glared at him.

"Hey Taz, you want to dance?" Gred asked, swaying closer to Taz.

Taz took a step towards Up. "No."

"You sure about that, Tazzy?" Gred took another step towards her. Taz spun on her heel. Gred was less than an inch away from her face.

"Don't jou _dare_ call me 'Tazzy,'" Taz growled. "Now, go away!"

"I'm not sure I want to do that," Gred said, smirking. He stepped forwards again. Taz stepped back, pushing Up with her. Gred looked up. "Oh, look at that," he commented, grinning mischievously. His eyes were angled upwards. Taz bit her lip and glanced up at the overhang above the bar.

She cursed. Mistletoe.

Gred was still grinning, his face coming closer and closer to hers. "I guess this means you'll have to kiss me," he whispered. Taz raised her fist, about to smash the guy in the face if he came a millimetre closer to her. He stank of whiskey and smoke. Taz's lip curled with disgust. Gred came closer.

"Uh, I don't think so."

Up appeared in front of her, shoving Gred out of the way. The drunken man flew to the left and staggered, eventually falling to the floor. Up looked at Taz and saw her raised fist.

"Oh. If I'd known you were going to punch him I wouldn't have done anything. That would have been so much more entertaining."

"Oh look!" Both people looked round to see that Jacon was stood, leaning against the bar with Dev and Pryce on either side of him. "You two have to kiss now!" Jacon laughed loudly, taking a big swig of his beer.

"Oh, no," Up said. "I was just saving her from Gr-"

"I don't care if you were saving her from the Abominable Snowman!" Pryce cried. "You're under mistletoe. You have to kiss her!"

Taz shook her head slightly. "Bu-"

"No buts, Taz," Dev said solemnly. "Up. Kiss her. Now."

Up looked around at a loss. His eyes skipped from the also lost looking Taz and the firm faces of his other friends.

"Uh."

"Up!" Jacon yelled. "Kiss her god damnit! You're under freaking mistletoe! It's the rule!"

"The rule, man!" Dev added, waving his hand for emphasis. Up gave them a pleading look. They ignored it.

"Up." Up turned his head to look at Taz.

Her mouth was suddenly on his.

Her lips were soft, and she tasted of vanilla. His favourite flavour of ice-cream. Up could vaguely hear the guys clapping behind him but he wasn't really concentrating. Up's hands encircled Taz's waist and she smiled against his lips, pulling away and setting her whole foot on the ground again. She'd been stood on her tip toes. She smirked up at him, her dark eyes glittering. He smirked back.

"That was intense," Pryce commented, grinning. He got pummelled by Dev and Jacon. Taz and Up both looked at the grounded nervously.

Dev grabbed Pryce with one hand and Jacon with the other. "Come on, guys. We've got to go and...talk to Cat." He dragged Jacon and Pryce away onto the dance floor, leaving the pair along.

Up and Taz glanced at each other. There was a silence.

"You know what?" Taz asked.

"What?"

"We're still under that mistletoe."

There was a pause.

"Are you saying that you want to kiss me again?" Up asked.

"I'm asking if you want me to." She smirked up at him.

They were both tipsy, and they both knew it was the drink talking. Neither of them really cared.

Up, still with his arms around her waist, leant down and kissed her again. A fire started. Her hands travelled up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him down closer to her. She was so close to him she could smell his hair, it smelt like coconut. She didn't like coconut, or at least, she didn't use to.

"I hope jou realise this is jour Christmas Present," Taz muttered against his lips.

Up pulled back slightly, smirking. "What happened to my chocolate?"

"I ate it," Taz admitted, shrugging slightly.

"That's okay," Up replied. "I broke your CD."

He kissed her again.

-x-

**First year in the war…**

Taz was colder than she'd ever been in her entire life. She was wrapped up in a sleeping bag, in a tiny wooden cabin, complete with a heater and insulation, but she was still freezing. Taz shivered in her sleeping bag, the light from the window shining down on her and refusing to let her go back to sleep.

It was Christmas Eve today, she knew. That didn't mean she wanted to get out of bed though. She heard Emilia climb off the camp bed next to her and heard her friend's feet as she padded along the floor bare foot.  
>"Oh my god, Taz look!" she cried from the window. Taz opened her eyes and stared at her friends face. She was grinning her head off, her eyes sparkling with excitement.<p>

"What is it?" Taz questioned, irritably.

"Come see!" Emilia insisted. Taz contemplated closing her eyes and going back to sleep now that Emilia was blocking the light, but curiosity got the better of her.

She rolled herself out of her bed, still in her sleeping bag and shuffled over to the window, shivering violently. Taz reached the window and looked out. Her jaw dropped.

Everything was white, absolutely everything. It was falling from the sky in little blobs and the ground was totally covered in it. Taz blinked, her eyes scanning over the world. It all looked so different, so bright. It was like everything was in double high definition. She frowned, unsure what was going on. She'd never seen anything like this, was it a robot plan or something? Maybe it was explosive!

Taz glanced at Emilia. "What the hell is it?" she questioned. Emilia's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"You don't know what that is?" Emilia asked.

Taz blinked. "Should I?"

There was a crash and both girls looked towards the door. Up and Dev crashed into the cabin, laughing and grinning, their hair covered in the white stuff. They were both wearing thick coats and gloves and were generally sopping wet.

"Oh my god!" Dev cried as Up shoved a clump of white stuff down his coat. He shivered violently, throwing his body around and shaking himself. Up was near enough doubling over laughing at the sight. Emilia was giggling. Taz was still frowning.

"You two coming?" Jacon asked from behind the other two. Emilia was out of the door almost immediately, boots on, gloves on, coat on. Taz just stood staring with a confused expression on her face.

"Taz?" Up asked as the other three disappeared. "Are you okay?"

Taz shook her head.

"What's wrong?"

"No one's explained what the hell is going on yet."

Up frowned, his expression for confused for a second. He scanned Taz's scowling face, searching for some kind of answer. Then his eyes widened.

"Oh god, I forgot!" he cried, making his way over to Taz. He took her hand and led her to the window. "You don't know what this is, do you?" he asked. Taz glared, feeling stupid. She shook her head slightly. Up smiled. "You've heard of snow, right?"

"Course I've heard of snow!" Taz cried. "It's like ice, it's white and it's." She trailed off, glancing out of the window. "Oh. Wow."

Up grinned. "You want to see it closer?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Taz smirked and nodded.

Five minutes later and Taz was being dragged out into the cold by her hand. Up was pulling her with all his might, and she was attempting to stay put.

"It's cold!" she shrieked. Up laughed. "Shut up!"

"Come on, Taz. Or I'll put snow down your coat like I did to Dev."

Taz let go of the doorframe immediately.

Up pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her shivering form and leading her through the snow. Taz looked at the ground in wonder, loving the sound that the snow made under her feet. Up reached down and picked up some snow in his gloved hand.

"Hold your hand out." Taz looked at him suspiciously. "Trust me." She held her hand out.

Up dropped the snow into her hand. The snow was cold, even through the material of her glove, and it was wet, but it was strangely nice. She poked at the snow with her other hand, feeling it melt under the heat of her finger.

Taz looked up and looked around at the other soldiers, playing happily in the snow. They were running around, chasing each other with clumps of snow and throwing them at each other like a bunch of kids. She heard Up laugh as Pryce got a snowball down the back of the neck from Emilia. Taz glanced at Up, his eyes were fixed on their friends. She took a tiny step backwards, bending to the floor and picking some snow up. She waited for a few seconds, making sure that Up hadn't noticed. He didn't move.

Up felt something cold and wet hit the back of his neck. He yelled out and threw himself to the left, his hand shooting up to his neck, trying to fish the snow from beneath his scarf. He turned and found Taz was stood, a huge smirk on her face. Her dark eyes were twinkling with mischief and she raised her eyebrow slightly at him.

"You little." Up ducked to the floor, picking up some snow with his fingers. Taz's eyes widened and she turned, sprinting off. Up laughed and chased after her, ducking and weaving through the other Ensigns, all the while pelting Taz with snowballs.

"Oh god," Commander Cal sighed as the pair ran past. "Why does everybody suddenly turn into a bunch of children as soon as snow comes into the mix? Hm?" Up didn't reply.

After a while Taz stopped next to the campfire, collapsing down onto the makeshift bench and breathing hard. Up dropped his snowball onto the floor and dropped onto the bench beside her. She looked at him and smiled, properly smiled too. It had been a while since he'd seen her smile like that. What with the war and everything.

Taz shivered. Her cheeks and ears were bright red from the cold and she was rubbing her hands together to get them warm. Up shuffled closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

"This is your fault," she growled, her teeth chattering together. Up grinned down at her. She tried not to smirk and failed. There was a tiny snowflake on the tip of Taz's nose and before he could stop himself, Up raised his hand and brushed it away with his index finger. Taz raised an eyebrow.

"Snowflake," Up explained, showing it her on his glove. She nodded slightly, catching his eye. They kept eye contact, both staring at each other's eyes for a second longer than they should have done. They couldn't seem to get the willpower to look away.

There was a silence. It was awkward and neither person was quite sure how to fill. It wasn't really important to fill it just yet though. They could just watch the snow until they came up with something suitable to say.

-x-

**First year apart...**

Taz had locked herself in her room.

Up had locked himself in his room.

"Taz, are you okay?" a voice called from just outside the door.

Taz didn't move from where she was curled up against the wall next to her virtually undecorated, scruffy looking tree.

She'd always been a decorating kind of person.

"I'm fine," she growled. Her voice caught on the second word and she slammed her fist onto the floor. Tears welled up in Taz's eyes and she blinked rapidly, fighting back a sob.

"...You don't sound fine," the voice reasoned. Taz could see him in her mind. He would be leaning against the wall with his eyebrows furrowed and a concerned look in his light brown eyes. He would be looking at the door, willing it to open. Taz wasn't going to open it.

"Krayonder, will jou please go away?" Taz asked. She had meant the sentence to come out snappy, annoyed. Instead she just ended up sounding pathetic and pleading.

Krayonder was silent for a minute.

"Can Leon come in?" he asked.

"No."

"...How about Emilia?"

"No."

He wasn't giving in. "Jacon?"

"No...and neither can Pryce if he's out there."

There was silence, a refusal to respond to her hinted question. The silence answered it for her. Pryce was with Up. It didn't surprise her. Pryce had known Up for even longer than Taz had, but it still hurt.

Pryce was where she couldn't be.

Pryce was sat on the floor beside Up's door, leaning back against the wall.

"You okay?" he called.

"You've asked me that five times now."

Pryce sighed, pursing his lips. "Well, you won't answer anything else."

He was kind of using it as an excuse to hear Up's voice. Even if it was only one word. It meant he was still alive, still able to talk, still sane.

Pryce missed his best friend.

"Oh."

"Are you going to come out of there?" Pryce asked, glancing at the door.

"...No."

"Why not?"

"Don't want to."

"Please, Up."

"No."

"Up..." Pryce trailed off. "It's Christmas." It was a sort of plea. To make him feel guilty, maybe. He knew it wasn't going to work.

"I am well aware of that, Pryce," Up replied. His voice was hard. There was another silence. Pryce could hear the rumbling of the pipes. He was glad he could hear something. "It's snowing."

Pryce looked at the door, shocked. He stuttered for a second, unsure how to respond to this statement. "Oh, really? Um, I can't see it. There's no window out here..."

A silence. "It's just snow," Up replied in a monotone. "The ensigns are having a snowball fight."

Pryce let out a tiny chuckle. "Just like last year." Pryce clamped his hand to his face, regretting what he had just said. He was such an idiot.

There silence had suddenly become unbearable. Pryce would have been able to hear a feather drop, and a needle dropping would have been deafening. Pryce looked at the floor. He could almost picture Up's face. Hard, cold, pained. He took a deep breath, wishing he could take back his mistake. But that's the thing about mistakes, they can't be taken back.

"Yeah," Up said finally, his voice shaking. Pryce closed his eyes. He knew, in his heart, that if he was able to see Up, a tear would be running down his friends cheek. "Just like last year."

-x-

**Christmas after Bug World Mission...**

Up walked into February's room, preparing himself for the worst. Why the heck had he agreed to spend Christmas with these people? Oh yeah, February and Cat, now best friends, were demanding it.

"Up!" February came charging over, a glass of red wine in her hand. She was wearing a short black and white dress and a pair of black heels so high that she almost as tall as him. Her eyes, usually level with his collarbone, were now level to the bridge of his nose. "Hey!"

"Hey, Feb," he replied, looking around the room.

"Do you want a drink? Or a mince pie? Or a-"

"No thanks," Up responded, his eyes falling on a certain Hispanic girl sat on the sofa and smirking at the sight of Krayonder and Jacon having an arm wrestle.

Unsurprisingly, Jacon was winning.

February followed Up's gaze across the room and she smirked. "Okay then. Merry Christmas, Up."

"Merry Christmas," Up replied without looking at her.

Taz looked round as she felt a weight join her on the sofa. She smiled at the sight of Up settling himself into the seat and grinning at her.

Her eyes flickered up and she chuckled slightly. "Nice hat."

Up felt the top of his head and his finger clenched around the Santa's hat that lay there.

Damn. He forgot he'd put that on.

He laughed and pulled the hat off, chucking it at Taz. She yelped and pulled it off her face, scowling deeply. Up smirked and she tried to hide a grin. How could he always make her grin when she didn't want to? Taz chucked the hat onto the floor and sat back into the sofa.

"Anybody fancy a go?" Jacon called as Krayonder's arm hit the table. Taz looked at Up and tilted her head, challenging him.

He raised an eyebrow and stood up, making his way around the edge of the sofa. "I'll have a shot," he called back as Krayonder walked back to Pryce and handed him five dollars.

"Bet you another five that Up'll win?" Pryce murmured to the younger Ensign. Krayonder grinned at the thought of getting his fiver back.

"Deal."

Taz leaned against the edge of the sofa, watching as Up sat down opposite to Jacon. The pair exchanged fighting talk before placing their elbows on the table and grinning at each other. Specs stood next to the table and counted down while Jacon and Up clasped hands.

"GO!"

Everyone was cheering and yelling for their preferred winner. Krayonder was near enough screeching Jacon's name as his arm was coming closer and closer to the table. Pryce stood beside him, laughing his head off. Specs was on the other side, her head in her hands at the sight of her boyfriend.

Jacon's arm hit the table and half of the room cheered. Taz grinned widely and jumped up from the sofa, catching Up's eye as he stood up, leaving Jacon with his head in his hands.

"How about me and jou have a go now?" Taz asked, smirking and gesturing to the table.

"Me and you?" Up replied. "You must be kidding." He grinned at her.

Taz tilted her head. "Why? Are jou scared I'll win?"

"Terrified." Taz smirked. "Don't want to lose my good reputation now do I?"

Taz fell back into the sofa and Up followed suit, flinging his arm around Taz as he did so. She gave him a look.

"What?" he asked innocently.

She laughed slightly and leaned against his shoulder. He was warm. She was cold. It was a good mix. The pair watched as Tootsie accepted Jacon's next challenge to an arm wrestle. He lost, unsurprisingly. It didn't matter though; no one had expected him to win. Krayonder was pleased now though, as Pryce- feeling sorry for the kid- had returned one of his fivers.

"Hey, Taz?"

Taz looked at Up. "_Sí_?"

"How do you say Merry Christmas in Spanish?"

Taz frowned. "Why?"

"It's the only thing I've never heard you say in Spanish," Up explained, giving her a little smile. "I'm just wondering."

"_Feliz __Navidad_," Taz said with a smile.

Up grinned. "Say it again."

Taz frowned for a second. "_Feliz __Navidad._"

Up narrowed his eyes with concentration. "Fe-lix-Nava-ded...?"

He looked at Taz for approval and found she was holding her stomach and laughing at him. He glared.

"Okay, try it again," she said. "Repeat after me: Fe-liz."

Up swallowed. "Fe-liz." Taz nodded.

"Na-vi-dad."

"Na-vi-dad."

"Now say it all together," Taz instructed.

"_Feliz,__ Navidad_?"

Taz nodded and Up grinned. "_Feliz__ Navidad,_Taz."

Taz smiled and leaned into Up's shoulder again. He pulled her closer.

"_Feliz__ Navidad,__ mi__ amor._"

_A/N: _Cute innit:')

Please, any requests, state them. I want to do more christmas oneshots! I've only done two! I demand I must do at _least _four!


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